Hospital admissions for allergies jump 8% in a year

NHS hospitals in England have seen a near 8% rise in admissions relating to allergies in just one year, rising to 20,320 in the 12 months to February 2014, fresh data from the Health and Social Care Information Centre show.

According to the report, 62% (12,560) of admissions due to allergic reactions were classed as emergencies, which marks a 6.2% rise on the same period last year, with nearly one in five (4,070) of admissions now for anaphylactic reactions, up 9.9%.

Also, the figures show that babies and infants up to four years old are more likely to be admitted than other age groups, and that the danger is higher in boys than girls of this age.

Admissions for allergic rhinitis also jumped 10.9% in males and 13.3% in females over the period, marking significant increases in a relatively short period of time.

The figures, which are based on Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), should provide policy makers with "a clear picture" of the scale of hospital and in patient care for allergic conditions, noted Kingsley Manning, chair of the HSCIC.

"Until now, figures on the level of burden on hospitals from severe allergies have been scarce and this new information highlights the need for further investment and improvements in allergy care," Lynne Regent, chief executive of the Anaphylaxis Campaign charity, told the Telegraph.